Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews had one heck of a run. The Miami Dolphins drafted Matthews as the 227th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft — a range in which players are usually lucky to make the team year one, let alone go on to be a productive NFL starter. And yet that’s exactly what Matthews did, until now.
Matthews announced his retirement from the NFL yesterday after 7 seasons of play — en route to 230 receptions, 3160 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. The majority of Matthews’ career was spent with the Dolphins from 2012-2015 before leaving to spend two and a half years in Nashville with the Titans. He also logged 5 games with the Jets in 2018.
Matthews’ sign-off from the NFL is quite clear — playing professional football was not “just a game”. Instead, Matthews rejects many of the side effects that come with being an NFL player.
Matthews had signed with the New Orleans Saints earlier this summer, but the team cut him over the weekend with a “left squad” designation — he’d had enough.
